General Motors is getting some bad news about its eAssist mild hybrid technology – it's not very popular. That's being made clear by soft sales for the highest-volume eAssist model, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco.

We often comment that the automobile industry, as a whole, does a decent job building cars these days – today's new vehicles are much better than they were even five years ago, and every subsequent generation seems to improve on its predecessor. Yet despite the forward progress as evident by the current crop, an oddity always seems to creep into the mix. Enter the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco.

General Motors has officially released pricing for the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The base LS model starts at $23,150 including a $760 destination fee. The entry-level Malibu bows with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 197 horsepower that's also found in LT and LTZ models. While the Environmental Protection Agency hasn't released official figures as of yet, GM expects the sedan to yield fuel economy in the mid 30s thanks in part to the standard six-speed automatic transmission.

General Motors has announced the automaker is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Malibu models for a potential sensor failure. Under hard braking, the vehicle's sensing and diagnostic module may reset itself, and if that occurs just before an abrupt turn, the vehicle could trick itself into sensing a rollover. In that event, the roof rail airbag could deploy outside of a crash situation. What's more, the seat belt pretensioners could then fail during a severe crash. Needless to say, it could be a

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crowned two sedans and a hatchback as Top Safety Picks: the 2013 Chevrolet Malibe Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera and 2012 Toyota Prius c. The redesigned 2013 Malibu joins its 2012 model-mate as a Top Pick, and the 2013 earned a good side impact rating even without its optional side airbags.